Railroad-switch.



E. LA SARGE.

RAILROAD SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED lULY 2,1913.

1,179,535. Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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E. LA SARGE.

RAILROAD SWITCH.

APPLlCATlON FILED JULY 2, I913.

1,179,535. Patented A R, 18, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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E. LA SARGE.

RAILROAD SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2' I913.

1,179,535. Patented Apr. 18,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

To all whom it may concern of the city of Ludington,

EUGENE LA SARGE, OF LUDING'ION, MICHIGAN.

. RAILROAD-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

1 Application filed July 2, 1913. Serial No. 776,921.

Be it known that I, EUGENE LA SARGE, a citizen of the 'United States,and a resident in the county of Mason and State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Switches; and Ido hereby declare numerals of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specification.

"A great many types that the following is a full. clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being had totheaccompanying drawings,and to the V of switches have been constructed with various objects inview, but in a great many cases it has been found that weatherconditions present a problem which in a large measure 'ity of thedevice.

determine the practicabil- Switches of simple con- :struction such as atype of the well known eration by changes point switch have proved mostsuccessful where'weather conditions permit for. the reason that switchesso constructed are easy to 1 manipulate, whereas switches designed to beunaffected by climatic conditions have been so complicated and expensiveof installation and upkeep as to practically preclude the use thereof.One of the most favoredtypes of switches is that switch known: as thepoint switch, but due to its simplicity it has been found to be easilyaffected by snow and ice, thus preventing operation thereof, althoughthe switch is practically unaffected in its opof temperature. Thisinvention relates to an improved type of point switch which isself-cleaning in its operation to obviate trouble in operation due tothe caking of snow or ice in and around the parts thereof, inasmuchasthe parts are so constructed as to readily clear and free themselveswhen the switch is thrown. It' is an object of this invention to.construct a point switch wherein'the point rails are pivotally mountedto swing about a sub stantially horizontalaxis whereby the point railsare actually rotated through a small arc to swing the rails into properposition, by such movement serving to sweep foreign matter from betweenthe same to prevent jamming thereof.

It is also an object of this invention to. rovide an improved type ofpoint switch wherein the point rails are securely linked to one anotherto insure proper simultaneous to support said 7 points.

movement thereof, such connection permitting a pivotal movement of eachof sai rails.

It is also an object of this invention to provide rotatably andeccentrically mounted point rails, and curved slide plates adapted pointrails at a plurality of It is also an object of this invention toprovlde revoluble point rails supported by curved slide plates, andmeans associate with said rails to maintain the same in close bearingengagement with said slide plates at all times.

It isalso an object of this invention'to provide together with rotatablepoint rails and actuating mechanism therefor, reinforcing membersadapted to swing into engagement therewith when the respective pointrails are in switching position.

'It is also an object of this invention to provide point rails rotatableabout a longitudinally directed axis and curved support- Patented Apr.18, 1916.

ing slide plates therefor conforming to the sweep of said rails toinsure proper positioning of the same at all times.

It is also an object of this invention to provide point rails and slideplates, the latter slotted to receive engaging means attached tothe'point rails to maintain said point rails in contact with said plateat all times.

It is also an object of provide engaging means between the point railsand slide plates whereinthe base of the rail serves in all positionstocover and protect theengaging means between the same and said slideplates.

It is also an object of this invention to provide point rails suitablyconnected to one another to insure concurrent movement thereof, andreinforcing means adapted to be respectively thrown into and out ofoperating position by mechanism linked to the connection between saidrails.

- It is also an object of this invention to provide point rails whichare suitably mounted upon a pivot extending into the head of the rail,whereby the rail'points swing into position through an are, guided bysuitably curved slide plates, serving by such movement to sweep theintervening space betweenthe' main rails and the point this invention torails to clear ter. and prevent jamming of the rails.

It isalso an object of this invention to provide a switch, wherein thepoint rails are elevated as they swing into positiom'thus sweeping anyforeign matter lying between the rails upwardly and away therefrom.

It is furthermore an object of this invention to provide a simple point.switch with rotatably mounted point rails and means for In thedrawings: Figure 1 is a top plan,

view ofa section of'track showing -thepoint rails of a point switchembodying'my invention connected thereto. Fig. 2 is a side elevationthereof. Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is asection taken on line 44 of Fig.1. Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5-5of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary top plan view illustrating thereinforcing means for the point rails. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary top'planview illustrating the actuating mechanism for the reinforcing means forthe point'rails. Fig. 8 is a frag mentary detail partly in elevation andpartly in section illustrating the pivotal connection between a pointrail and a main rail. Fig. 9 'is a detail illustrating the connectionbetween a point'rail and a slide plate taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 3, andwith the point rail in switching position. Fig. 10 is a section taken online 10'10 of Fig.9. Fig. 11 isa section taken on line 1111 of Fig. 3.Fig. 12 is a section taken online 12l2 of Fig.

, 5 with parts omitted.

As shown inthe drawings: Referring to the drawings'it will be seen thatthe device is mounted as-usual upon ties 1, the reference numerals 2 and3, denoting respectively the main track rails. l f

Rails numbered 4 and 5, respectively, denote the turnout rails' and therails numbered 6, and 7, denote the point rails, of the switch.Theswitch, .as shown in Fig. 1, is set in closed position or thatpermitting thoroughfare on-the'main track. Anynumber of slide plates 8,desired are spiked to theties'the'upper surface ofsa-id slideplatesbethe under ing curved to receive ithereon curved surfaceof'thelbaseof the point rails.

Said slide plates are alsobolted to the resp'ec tive rails 3, and 4', bymeans of bolts .9, and a T-shaped slot 10,-is provided in 'said'uppercurved surface. The base portion of each of said point rails is tappedto receive a bolt the same of any foreign mat-- Figs. 3,4, and 5. Thatportion of linked thereon are the .poi-nt rails into switching thereto,so that 11, therein at a position to registerand engage'said slot 10,saidbolts serving to guide plates.

As is "usual in point switches the point rails are rolled down to ataper at the rail 7 engaging extremities and inasmuch as in my.lnventlon the base of said rail must be curved the rail hasa'continually varying cross-section, asillustrated more clearly in thepoint rail near the pivot connection to the main rail is practically ofstandard cross-section except for the rounded under surface .of thebase, as shown in Fig. 5. However, a-sec tion taken within the lengththathas been rolled to a taper discloses the base portion and the flangeof'the rail as'merging; into one, and of course with a narrowed headportion. l

At thefextreme end ofthe point rails which are adapted to contactthe-main turnout rails respectively, the point rails are shown asconsisting of" a single curved portion of metal, the flange, thevhead,'and the base. of rails-having been merged into the one curved formadapted to slideupon the.

Lugs 12, are pro- 5 respective Y slide plates. vided on said .pointrails, and pivotally constrain said point rails to move simultaneously,and yet permit a relative pivotal movement 'therebetweenz I An actuatingrod 12*, is slotted at'its ends and engages pins .extending'through'certain 'of the lugs 12,

tie rods 13; which thus permitting a :certain amount of lost motion totake place before the point rails are shifted by 'mechanism hereinafterdescribed. For the purpose'of throwing said position any-type ofswitch'stand 14, 'is mounted at one side i of the track, to transmit.the throw-from the switch stand to a bar .16, connected to-the actuatingrod 12 of the point rails. Inasmuch as the and a connecting rod 15,serves curved slide; plates do not present a reac tion surface normal tothe weight applied upon the point rails, means areprovide'd for suitablybracing said base thereof, -to prevent down upon the curved weightis'applied thereon. This means conthe same riding point rails. at the.

incline when a sists of bell cranks pivoted to one or more of the slideplates 8 comprising an arm 17, and a. reinforcing wedgev 18, rigidlyconnected as 'saidarm 17,'is moved in one direction, the wedge 18, willbe thrust into a position behind one edge of the base of the point railto prevent reverse rotation or movement thereof, and when said arm 17,is moved into its other position said;wedge 18, will be retracted, thusper mlttlng a retrograde movement of said rails.-

Forthepurpose of actuating said reinforcing crank as the rail is movedinto switching position, the arm 17, thereof is linked to another bellcrank by means of a connecting rod 19, the other of said bell cranksbeing pivoted adjacent the actuating rod 12 and having an arm 20,engaging a pin in said rod 12*, and with another actuating arm 21,pivotally connected to said connecting rod 19. Thus as the pointrailsare I switched from one position to another with the consequenttransverse movement of-the tie rods, the arms 17 and 21, through theintermediation of the connecting rod 19, serve to first actuate thecrank wedges 18, either into reinforcing position or release position,as the case may be, the respective mechanism being mounted one for eachpoint rail such that as one moves into looking position the other movesinto release or unlocking position and secondly, the point rails. Thepivotal connection between the point rails and the main track andturnout rails comprises a pin 22, threaded into the point rail andengaging in a suitable aperture in the respective abutting rail to whichit is connected. Said pin is mounted slightly to one side of the centerof said point rail so that rotation of said rail about said pivot pointwill cause the tapered extremities thereof not only to rotate about anaxis, substantially longitudinal of the rails, but also cause the sameto move through an are as disclosed in Figs. 3, 4L,

. and 5, to move said point rails. when not in switching position clearof the main track rail. Of course, the angle of rotation for the entirelength of the point rails is the same throughout, but due to theeccentric mounting thereof the amplitude of such movement varies from aminimum at the pivot point to a maximum at the tapered extremity of saidrail. Consequently, the slide plates arranged at different pointsbeneath the point rails are each of slightly different construction, thelength of curvature thereon and radius of curvature being dependent uponthe distance thereof from the pivot point of the point rail.

The operation is as follows: Regardless of whether the switch is in openor closed position, one of the point rails is always in operatingposition. As shown in Fig. 1, the switch is in closed position, and thecars may pass over the switch on the main track line. In this case thepoint rail 6, forms a part of the main track line. When the switch is inopen position the point rail 6 is rotated, simultaneously with the pointrail 7, such movement serving to move the point rail 6, out of contactwith the stock rail 5, and moving the point rail 7 into contact with themain rail 3, in which position the cars will be diverted to a sidetrack. Usually in point switches, snow or ice becomes wedged between thefixed rails and the movable point rail,"thus' preventing a closing ofthe point against the fixed rail, but, as more {clearly illustrated inFig. 10, of mydevice it will be seen that the point rail does notswing'into an abutting position against the fixed rail', but rathersweeps upwardly thereagainst, and inasmuch as the fixed rail is flat onits innersurface with theslide plates supporting the point rail, suchsweeping movement of the point rail into position serves to clear thesame of any foreign matter that may have become lodged therebetweentoprevent proper manipulation of the rail.

Of course, I have shown merely one type of construction whereby arotational rail is adapted to a switch to insure proper operationthereof, at all times, and obviously the particular details. ofconstruction may be varied through a wide range without departing fromthe principles of my invention. I therefore do not purpose limiting thepatent granted otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described, a point switch comprising pointrails, pivots connecting said point rails at one end only with fixedrails to permit a rotational bodily lateral shift of the free ends ofsaid point rails, and curved guide slide plates for said free ends toinsure the proper movement thereof. 7

2. In a device of the class described, point rails, curved slide platessupporting the same, and means connecting said point rails with saidslide plates to maintain the point rails in engagement therewith at alltimes.

3. In a railway switch, fixed rails, point rails pivotally connectedthereto at one end only and to each other and adapted at their free ends.to rotate about a substantially horizontal axis, and means guiding andretaining said free ends in the proper path of movement.

4. In adevice of the class described,afixed rail, point rails pivotallyconnected thereto, curved slide plates supporting said point rails,bolts in said point rails engaging in slots in said slide plates toretain the point each other to insure proper movement of said Wedgecranks with vmc i en1 -3nt of the testinuony whereof Iyhave. hefeunt'oslide plates'supporting said point rails and tierodsJ n '6. In a deviceof the class described, point subscribing: Witnesses. rails, a curvedunder face thereon, curved E L ARGE means connected to said point railsand en- Witnesses gaging said slide plates to maintain and CHARLES W.HILLS, J12, guide the pointrails there0n.- CHARLES W.. HILLS.

(2091c: of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the, '(loi nmissionmj-v of Patents, 3

' washingtom nc.

subscribed my name in the presence of two 10 v

